BajaNomad

Help. Need jump start for Toyoto Prius.

mexicocarol - 7-12-2011 at 01:07 PM

Does anyone have a Prius and know a reputable tow truck operator who can come and jump start one. It's dead, in the garage in park with the wheels locked. Can't back it out to jump start. Help.

comitan - 7-12-2011 at 01:18 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxXL_g4ONrU

DavidE - 7-12-2011 at 01:21 PM

DO NOT JUMP START YOUR VEHICLE. You would be risking damage to an extremely expensive ECU (computer) by doing so.

Remove your battery and have it charged. Borrrow a charger. Or disconnect the negative battery cable from your vehicle, use the second vehicle to CHARGE the battery for say fifteen minutes, disconnect the jumper cables, reconnect the negative then start your car in a normal manner.

When you get your car started take it on a half-hour drive, return home and park it reversed so if the battery really is bad you can get at it easily.

And yes; I was an automotive electrican for many decades.

Hook - 7-12-2011 at 02:44 PM

Arent the batteries in a Prius like an 8D battery or something even bigger?

I would assume that it's impractical to actually remove the battery(s) from a hybrid.

TMW - 7-12-2011 at 03:15 PM

About Prius Battery jump start and recharging from cigarette lighter?
I have a 2007 Prius. Am contemplating purchase of an emergency power pack that can also jump start car batteries. Can I jump a Prius battery with this; and can I recharge it through the car's cigarette lighter (will it drain the battery too much)?

Xantrex XPower Powerpack 400 Plus Portable Backup Power Source. Features include:

* Compact portable power source that provides 400 watts AC power
* Use to jump-start vehicles, charge and operate electric devices, inflate tires
* Rugged plastic casing; includes sealed, non-spillable AGM battery
* Includes jumper cables, nozzle adapters for pumping air, AC charger, DC charger cable, accessory bag
* Measures 5.9 x 4.1 x 2.2 inches; weighs 2.4 pounds; 6-month warranty
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Best Answer - Chosen by Asker
The Prius is the world's easiest car to jump using the jumper terminals under the hood but be very sure to get the polarity right. It takes 30 amps for a second or so and that's only to run the brake pump, other than that it only has to power up the electronics and throw a relay (the Prius has no starter motor). Most jumping kits are way overkill. Purchase the smallest one available. I have yet to need a jump start on either my 2001 or 2004 Prius.

The power port is not connected when the Prius is off so you can only charge devices when the Prius is in READY mode. Also the wiring to the power ports is quite thin, so you don't want to run very much off them them.

Take a look at priuschat.com or one of the Yahoo Prius groups for more information on running emergency power from the Prius. http://priups.com/ also has some good information on emergency power from the Prius.

TMW - 7-12-2011 at 03:21 PM

MOre Info on a Prius Battery. There are two each in a differnt location.

Questions for the hybrid battery expert
A big part of the "magic" that makes hybrid vehicles work involves high-voltage battery technology. So, it's natural that many of the questions Toyota and its dealers receive are about hybrid batteries. Hybrid Synergy View put questions about batteries to Gary E. Smith, national service technology manager at Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.



Q: What do hybrid batteries look like, and how do they work?

Gary Smith: Toyota's high-voltage hybrid batteries are collections of prismatic modules in strong protective cases bolted under or behind the rear seats. In a current-generation Prius, the battery case contains 168 1.2V batteries in groups or modules of six that are slightly different in shape but not much larger than the batteries in an 18-volt cordless electric drill. The entire pack, which includes some relays, solenoids and the metal case, measures about 14 by 36 inches, and is eight inches high. You might picture a suitcase weighing 110 pounds. Because the storage space is different in a Highlander hybrid, its batteries are in three smaller cases. So, picture three attaché cases with a total weight about the same as the case in the Prius.

These nickel-metal hydride batteries are charged by an internal combustion engine (ICE) driven generator and/or by regenerative braking that captures power from deceleration and braking.

Q: Do they ever run out of power?

GS: No. A computer makes sure the batteries never discharge completely. They never fill completely, either.

Q: Are they charged at the factory?

GS: Yes, they need to have enough of a charge to start the engine the first time. After that, the batteries are charged by the vehicle's systems. Every Toyota hybrid also has a battery similar to the one in a conventionally powered car, but it's used only for 12-volt accessories and to power the vehicle's computers.

Q: Do the high-voltage batteries ever need to be checked or serviced by the owner or by a dealer?

GS: No, there is no scheduled maintenance for the batteries.

Q: How long do the high-voltage batteries last?

GS: We designed them to last for the life of the vehicle. We're aware of owners who have racked up a quarter-million miles without replacing the batteries.

Q: What would it cost to replace a complete battery pack?

GS: Less than $3000, plus labor.

Q: How long is the warranty?

GS: The high-voltage batteries are warranted for eight years or 100,000 miles, and under California regulations the battery warranty extends to 10 years or 150,000 miles.

Q: How about the battery in a hybrid Toyota Certified Used Vehicle? Does the certification extend the warranty?

GS: No, the warranty remains at 100,000 or 150,000 miles from first use.

Q: Does Toyota offer any kind of extended warranty that covers hybrid batteries?

GS: No.

Q: How long will a Prius or Highlander keep moving on battery power if it's out of gas?

GS: Only for a short distance -- a mile or so. The battery isn't designed for primary traction power, other than driving in reverse; it's there to capture energy that would be lost in deceleration or braking, and to optimize the power of the gasoline engine, all of which extends the vehicle's fuel mileage and limits emissions.

Q: Is there any danger of electrical shocks?

GS: The battery packs are enclosed securely in metal cases, and their bright orange cables are well insulated, shielded and isolated. The on-board computers perform hundreds of checks prior to high voltage being released outside of the battery case. These checks are repeated several times each second to assure total system integrity. If an anomaly is detected, high voltage is switched off and contained inside the metal battery case. In the event of a collision, the rapid-deceleration monitors or an airbag deployment will cut off the high voltage. This protects occupants and rescue workers from electrical shock.

We continue to work closely with emergency services experts from a variety of communities, and because there are so many system safeguards, we have yet to learn of or imagine a scenario in which a first responder would be endangered by a Toyota hybrid power system.

Q: Is there any risk of electrical shock in heavy rain, or when driving in a flooded street?

GS: No.

Q: Is there any danger from electromagnetic interference or injury resulting from EMI?

GS: No. Toyota hybrids are certified to be at or below World Health Organization standards for non-ionizing radiation, either inside the vehicles or near them.

Q: Are hybrid batteries recyclable?

GS: Absolutely. In fact, Toyota pays a bounty to dealers who recover them from damaged vehicles. Additionally, our engineers are studying the possibility of remanufacturing these batteries.

Q: Is this the kind of battery that would be used if a plug-in hybrid system is developed?

GS: A system like that might use nickel-metal hydride or lithium ion batteries. Plug-in systems need significantly more capacity than currently exists in the batteries in our hybrids. Toyota is exploring the possibilities for plug-in hybrids, but has made no determination about them.

Related ArticlesMaximum mpgs
Hybrids or Hydrogen?
Interview with Brad Berman, Creator of HybridCars.com
Q: What about the third-party suppliers who are converting Prius and some other hybrids to plug-in use?

GS: Toyota's current hybrids are not designed for larger traction batteries, and the company discourages these modifications, which void the vehicle's warranty. The conversions that I'm aware of are very costly, add significant weight to the vehicle, and have not gone through the rigors of full engineering evaluation such as brake balance, crash testing and durability.

mcfez - 7-12-2011 at 05:12 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DavidE
DO NOT JUMP START YOUR VEHICLE. You would be risking damage to an extremely expensive ECU (computer) by doing so.

Remove your battery and have it charged. Borrrow a charger. Or disconnect the negative battery cable from your vehicle, use the second vehicle to CHARGE the battery for say fifteen minutes, disconnect the jumper cables, reconnect the negative then start your car in a normal manner.

When you get your car started take it on a half-hour drive, return home and park it reversed so if the battery really is bad you can get at it easily.

And yes; I was an automotive electrican for many decades.


I heard this before.

Doesnt the ECU have to be reset ....for the car to operate correctly?

chinolbz - 7-12-2011 at 10:22 PM

I jumped one years ago. The battery was in the trunk. Behind the carpet on the left side? Looks a tad larger than a Harley battery. Chino

805gregg - 7-13-2011 at 05:51 PM

It's a Toyota find a cliff.

Udo - 7-13-2011 at 07:11 PM

The easiest way to jump start a Prius:
Open the hood...
on the right side of engine compartment is a black fuse box. Open it.
Inside that black fuse box is another little plastic RED box. Open it and connect the positive side of jumper wire to it. Connect the ground to the front strut nut. Jump in and start the car.
My 2004 has 328,000 miles. No battery replacement yet, except for the one in the rear right hand cubby.
Car uses no oil and still gets 49 mpg average.